Sharp has begun production of LCD panels on its latest
manufacturing line in Japan which, it claims, is the most advanced
commercial line in the world.
The production line is a so-called sixth-generation line and can
handle mother glass - the initial glass sheet onto which the LCDs
are built - as large as 1.5m by 1.8m, said Sharp spokesman Miyuki
Nakayama.
Until Sharp began production at the factory in Kameyama, the
most advanced LCD production facilities involved in mass production
of panels were fifth-generation lines that can accept glass up to
1.1m by 1.3m.
Increasing the size of the mother glass means more panels can be
made per sheet of glass, reducing costs and resulting in cheaper
LCD panels.
The latest production line has a maximum capacity of 15,000
sheets of mother glass a month. A single sheet can be used to
produce eight 26-inch widescreen LCD panels or a smaller number of
larger panels. In total the line can produce up to 100,000 LCD
televisions of various screen sizes a month.
A second production line planned for the Kameyama factory is
scheduled to begin manufacturing panels in August, which would
bring total maximum production to 27,000 sheets of mother glass a
month.
Other LCD manufacturers are also planning bringing new
production lines on stream this year to help satisfy a growing
appetite for LCD-based televisions and computer monitors.
Samsung recently began construction on a seventh-generation
production line, having decided to skip the sixth generation, and
says that mass production is due in 2005. Seventh-generation lines
can accept mother glass of 1.9m by 2.2m.
Martyn Williams writes for IDG News Service